Cigarette case



March 1963 p. w. COREY 3,081,867

CIGARETTE CASE Filed May 3, 1961 INVENTOR.

BY W 72241 attorneys United States Patent 3,081,867 CIGARETTE CASE Donald W. Corey, Wilbraham, Mass, assignor to Boxton, Incorporated, Agawam, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 3, 1961, Ser. No. 107,473 Claims. (Cl. 206-41) This invention relates to cigarette cases and more particularly to cigarette cases for holding packages of cigarettes.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a case for holding cigarette packages of different length, such as for so-called regular and king size cigarettes. The case is constructed to hold different size cigarette packages with their upper ends at the same relative height so that cigarettes are uniformly accessible to the user, regardless of the size package being carried.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with parts cut away, of a cigarette case embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the case holding a package of regular size cigarettes;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the case containing a package of king size cigarettes;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing a cigarette case including a modified form of packagesupport member embodying this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view of the case shown in FIG. 4 showing the package-supporting member in a different operative position.

Referring in detail to the drawing, a cigarette case illustrative of this invention is shown generally at 8 in FIG. 1. The case may be of any conventional construction having a rectangular bottom 10, upwardly extending walls, and a cover 12, hinged along the upper edge of one of the walls for opening and closing the case. Fastener elements such as shown at 14 and 15 may be provided for releasably latching the cover 12 in its closed position. The case may be constructed of any suit-able material and, as shown, comprises a liner 13 covered with a suitable decorative material 13, such as leather or the like. The depth of the case from bottom to top is sufiicient to accommodate king size packages of cigarettes.

Means such as shown generally at 16 is provided for modifying the effective depth of the case to accommodate regular size cigarette packages. In FIG. 2 a regular pack 17 is shown supported in spaced relation above the bottom of the case. As shown, the package-supporting means comprises a pivotable angle strip having a flange or shelf portion 13, a riser or web portion 26 extending at right angles from the inner edge of the shelf 18 for supporting the shelf in parallel spaced relation to the bottom of the case. When the package-supporting member 16 is in its operative position (FIG. 2) the web is disposed upright, and the outer free edge of the shelf 18 is engaged with the case wall holding the shelf generally parallel to the bottom of the case. The width or height a of the web 2.4 is made approximately equal to the difference in length between king and regular size cigarette packages.

Hinge means is provided to enable the package-supporting member 16 to be freely' pivoted or swung from and to its package-supporting position, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to and from a position in which the shelf 18 and the web 21 are disposed in juxtaposition respectively with the front or rear wall of the case and a portion of the bottom of the case so that the full length of a king 3,081,867 Patented Mar. 19, 1963 ice size package 19 (FIG. 3) may be inserted in the case without obstruction by the member 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the member 16 is disposed to conform with the inner surface of the front wall 21 and adjacent portion of the bottom 10. Of course, it will be appreciated that the member could be reversed to conform with the opposite corner portion of the case.

In the embodiment shown, the hinge means comprises projections or pins 22 which extend outwardly of opposite ends of the supporting web 20 and adjacent its lower edge. The pivot pins are received within openings, holes, or recesses 23 provided in opposite side wall portions of the case and adjacent the bottom thereof.

As shown, the pin receiving openings are disposed inwardly of the wall 21 of the case a distance b, FIG. 2, approximately equal to the height a of the web 20 so that when the package support member is swung to its FIG. 3 position, the shelf 18 will be disposed closely adjacent the side wall to enable the full length of a king size package to be received within the case, as shown in FIG. 3.

The width 0 of the shelf 13, measured from the web 18, is approximately equal to the difference between the distance w from the front and back walls of the case, and the height a of the web. With this relationship, the shelf 18 will engage the wall of the case when the Web is upright, as shown in FIG. 2. Moreover, as mentioned above, since the distance b (FIG. 2) is approximately equal to the height of the web a, the shelf may be swung to a position closely adjacent the wall 21 of the case.

The fit of the pivot pins 22 in the pin receiving holes is such that the member 16 may be readily swung from and to its FIG. 2 position, to and from its FIG. 3 position, by merely tilting the case in the proper direction. It will be appreciated that when a package of cigarettes is disposed in the case, such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support member will be held by the package in its preselected position. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper ends of either king or regular size packages are equally accessible for removal of cigarettes and are at the same relative height, enabling the cover member 12 to be freely closed and opened.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown a modified form of this invention. The case may be of any conventional construction, as described above, having a cigarette package supporting member 26, which as shown is in the form of an angle strip of generally U-shape having a shelf portion 28 and leg portions 30 extending at right angles from opposite edges of the shelf portion. The shelf 28 is approximately equal in length to the distance between the front and rear walls of the case. The leg portions 30 extend from the shelf a distance approximately equal to the difference in length between king and regular size cigarette packs.

The support member 26 is hinged transversely of the bottom of the case at a point inwardly of either of the side walls of the case a distance approximately equal to the height 'of the legs 30 to enable the shelf to be swung into juxtaposition with the side wall, such as shown in FIG. 4.

The leg portions of the support member are disposed adjacent the front and back walls of the case so that when the support member is swung to its FIG. 4 position, the shelf 28 and leg portion 30 will be disposed parallel and adjacent the walls of the case so as not to obstruct the complete insertion of a king size pack into the case.

As shown, the hinge means, enabling swinging movement of the support member 26, comprises projections or pins 32 which extend outwardly of the leg portions 30. The pins are received within holes or recesses 3-4 in the front and rear walls of the case. The projections extend outwardly of the lower corners of the supporting legs 30, adjacent the wall 33. The support member may be swung to its package-supporting position, FIG. 5, or in operative position, FIG. 4, by merely tilting the case.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A case for cigarette packages of different lengths comprising a bottom, upright walls extending from said bottom to a height approximately equal to the longer of said packages, a planar shelf for supporting the shorter of said packages elevated above said bot-tom to maintain its upper end adjacent the upper edges of said walls, means for supportng said shelf in spaced parallel relation to said bottom, said shelf-supporting means having a height approximately equal to the difference in size between the shorter and longer of said packages, and means hingedly connecting said supporting means adjacent the bottom of said case, the hinge means being disposed inwardly of one of the upright walls of the case a distance approximately equal to the height of said supporting means to enable said shelf to be swung into parallel, contiguous relation to said one wall.

2. A case for regular and king size cigarette packages having a depth to accommodate said king size packages, means for decreasing the effective depth of said case to accommodate the regular size packs, said means comprising an angular strip having a shelf portion positionable in parallel spaced relation above the bottom of said case, and a web portion extending from the inner edge of said shelf portion and having a height approximately equal to the difference in length between king and regular size packs, said web being pivotably connected adjacent the bottom of said case inwardly of one Wall of the case a distance approximately equal to the height of said web to enable said shelf to be swung into parallel juxtaposition with said one wall, said shelf extending outwardly of said web sufi-lciently to engage the wall of said case pposite said one wall when said Web is disposed in an upright position.

3. A case for regular and king size cigarette packages having a depth to accommodate said king size packages, means for decreasing the effective depth of said case to accommodate the regular size packs, said means comprising a shelf positionable in parallel spaced relation above the bottom of said case, and a web extending at generally right angles from the inner edge of said shelf, said web having a height measured from said shelf approximately equal to the difference in length between king and regular siz'e packs, said web being pivotally connected adjacent the bottom of said case inwardly of one of the walls of said case a distance approximately equal to the height of said web to enable said shelf to be swung into parallel juxtaposition with said one wall, said shelf extending outwardly of said web a distance approximately equal to the difference between the distance from said one wall to the opposite wall of said case and height of said web so that said shelf will engage said opposite wall when said web is disposed generally upright.

4. A case for cigarette packages of different lengths comprising a bottom, upright walls extending from said bottom to a height approximately equal to the longer of said packages, a U-shaped support member for supporting the shorter of said packages in a position elevated above said bottom to maintain the upper end thereof adjacent the upper edges of said walls, said support member comprising a shelf portion and leg portions extending at right angles from opposite edges of said shelf and disposed contiguous the front and back walls of said case, and means hingedly connecting said leg portions adjacent the bottom of said case, said hinge means being disposed at a distance from one of the side Walls of said case approximately equal to the height of said leg portions to enable said shelf to be swung into parallel juxtaposition with said one side wall and to a position of spaced parallel relationship with the bottom of the case, the lower edges of said leg portions providing means for supporting said shelf in said latter position, said legs having a height approximately equal to the distance in length between the shorter and longer of said packages.

5. A case for cigarette packages of different lengths having a depth to accommodate the longer of said packages and comprising a bottom, upwardly extending walls, a planar shelf member for supporting packages with their bottoms elevated above the bottom of the case thereby decreasing the effective depth of said case for accommodating the shorter of said packages, means for supporting said shelf in spaced opposed relation to the bottom of said case, means pivotably interconnecting said shelf supporting means adjacent the bottom of said case, and inwardly of one of said walls, to enable said planar shelf to be swung into parallel, contiguous relation with said one wall of the case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,033,174 Battey Mar. 10, 1936 2,039,559 Segal May 5, 1936 2,346,407 Wright Apr. 11, 1944 

3. A CASE FOR REGULAR AND KING SIZE CIGARETTE PACKAGES HAVING A DEPTH TO ACCOMMODATE SAID KING SIZE PACKAGES, MEANS FOR DECREASING THE EFFECTIVE DEPTH OF SAID CASE TO ACCOMMODATE THE REGULAR SIZE PACKS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SHELF POSITIONABLE IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID CASE, AND A WEB EXTENDING AT GENERALLY RIGHT ANGLES FROM THE INNER EDGE OF SAID SHELF, SAID WEB HAVING A HEIGHT MEASURED FROM SAID SHELF APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE IN LENGTH BETWEEN KING AND REGULAR SIZE PACKS, SAID WEB BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CASE INWARDLY OF ONE OF THE WALLS OF SAID CASE A DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF SAID WEB TO ENABLE SAID SHELF TO BE SWUNG INTO PARALLEL JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID ONE WALL, SAID SHELF EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID WEB A DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DISTANCE FROM SAID ONE WALL TO THE OPPOSITE WALL OF SAID CASE AND HEIGHT OF SAID WEB SO THAT SAID SHELF WILL ENGAGE SAID OPPOSITE WALL WHEN SAID WEB IS DISPOSED GENERALLY UPRIGHT. 